BY NISAR KHAN
BROOKYLN, NY – The Oklahoma City Thunder ended their month of incredible form with a dominant victory over the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center.
Serge Ibaka had perfect twelve-for-twelve shooting as he racked up twenty-five points and nine rebounds before resting for a majority of the second half with the Thunder extending a very comfortable lead.
SEE ALSO: Month in Review: Best & Biggest Sports Stories for January
Meanwhile, Kevin Durant finished with twenty-six points, in another game of fantastic shooting with his form continuing.
It was Oklahoma’s tenth straight win, the longest win streak of the season thus far.
Shaun Livingston scored a team-high sixteen points for the Brooklyn Nets, but defensively he had a near-impossible task, having to keep track of and defend Kevin Durant.
Early in the first quarter, the Nets had a slender one-point lead, only to be quickly turned around with the Thunder heating up on a run.
Shaun Livingston was keeping the Nets in it for the first quarter, but his steal of Durant then finishing for Nets’ sixteen points would be their final points scored in that quarter.
Just under five minutes into the first quarter, and Oklahoma City Thunder were leading 17 – 16. It was very different by the end of the quarter, with a 13 – 0 run assembled from the visitors for the remainder of the quarter. Twelve minutes in and the Thunder were already sailing.
The points margin between the teams would double by halftime, with Thunder’s 14 point lead by the first quarter increasing to a twenty-eight point lead by the interval. Kevin Durant had twenty-two points by halftime, perfect from down town and only missing one field goal attempt.
In the second quarter, it was more of the same. At one point the highest lead was 29 points, with Durant and others having the opportunity to rest for the remainder of the game.
Jeff Teague for the Nets would score the final bucket with five seconds remaining, taking the deficit down from 27, to 25 points – it was looking a romp from the first quarter buzzer.
Comment: “Thunder a well-oiled machine”
Oklahoma’s ten game win streak isn’t by chance, luck or anything like that, you know – they are like clockwork out on the court.
Even in the absence of one of their key players, Russell Westbrook, the Thunder continue to make their basketball so good, and win so convincingly.
Kevin Durant did not continue his streak of over thirty-points-a-game, and the All-Star didn’t seem to concerned, although many other fans did considering they wanted him to tie other records. Regardless, Durant has been on fire in January, finishing it with another superb performance. More to follow on February? Highly likely.
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| Statistics from the best month of Kevin Durant’s career (January 2014) |
Brooklyn Nets had improved over January, but they were outclassed by Thunder, who are taking the West, and now East by storm.
Thunder strikes for the tenth time in a row.
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